There are numerous liquids that are not homogeneous and in which one liquid is disbursed throughout a second immiscible liquid. Some of these emulsions may contain a commercially saleable liquid if the suspended liquid can be extracted at a reasonable rate and cost. Examples of such suspensions might be the extraction of oils from oil seeds or other liquids. In other instances, liquids may contain contaminants in the form of a suspended liquid which must be removed. An example of such suspensions is in oil production where the crude oil from a well may contain up to 90% water, some free, some emulsified. To aid in the separation of the water from the oil, chemicals are usually added. In addition, a variety of solvents have been used for the extraction of oil seeds. All of these processes are expensive, and since they require the addition of a chemical,.there is always the possibility of contamination of the extracted substance.
There are also known processes which utilize mechanical means, such as pressing, to produce extraction of one liquid substance from another. The use of sonic energy to accelerate extraction is also known, and an example of such extraction is shown in Carpentier U.S. Pat. No. 2,717,768. Another example of the use of sonic energy in extracting oils and the like is disclosed in Romagnan U.S. Pat. No. 2,925,328 and also in Holl U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,225. However, the apparatus of these prior art systems are relatively complex and expensive, and frequently require the addition of solvents or other substances to aid in the extraction and separation process.
There is therefore a need for a simple and inexpensive device employing sonic energy that is useful in producing separation and extraction of a liquid suspended in an emulsion while the emulsion continuously flows through the device at a relatively high rate of flow.